TxDOT takes national, statewide awards

In its ongoing effort to be a best-in-class agency, the Texas Department of Transportation took multiple honors recently at award ceremonies recognizing excellence in construction and transportation projects.

The Globe and Pride awards, presented by the American Road and Transportation Builders Association Transportation Development Foundation (ARTBA-TDF), recognize efforts to grow and protect transportation infrastructure investment to meet public and business demand for safe and efficient travel. The Center for Digital Government’s 2013 Best of Texas Awards recognize public sector professionals and local government organizations for their dedication and contributions to advance information technology in Texas.

“We are honored and extremely proud to receive these awards,” said TxDOT Executive Director Phil Wilson. “Building safe and reliable roads is always our top priority, but we also feel a strong sense of obligation and responsibility when it comes to preserving the environment and engaging the surrounding community through meticulous planning and thoughtful design. These awards are a testament to the diligence of our engineers, construction workers and other TxDOT team members who make these roads a reality.”

TxDOT’s $1 billion DFW Connector Project, currently being constructed by NorthGate Constructors, took a first-place Globe Award in the category of Major Highway Project over $100 million. Designed to improve mobility and air quality for the highway’s 250,000 daily commuters, the project is being constructed using methods to manage hazardous materials, emissions and environmental pollution while also recycling up to 1 million tons of construction materials. Additionally, more than 50,000 new plants and six acres of wildflowers will be planted to improve air quality.

A second-place Globe Award went to TxDOT’s LBJ Express Project, a collaborative partnership with LBJ Infrastructure Group and Trinity Infrastructure. A public-private partnership valued at $3.2 billion, the LBJ Express Project will reconstruct nearly 17 miles of Dallas-area highway while employing a comprehensive environmental protection plan that manages soil while recycling and redirecting groundwater to drought-stricken areas.

TxDOT also took a second-place Pride Award for its US 290 Project in Houston. Relying heavily on public outreach initiatives, stakeholder input and community relations to advance the project decades ahead of schedule., the plans include the reconstruction and widening of US 290 to accommodate HOV and tolled traffic as well as future construction of the parallel Hempstead Tollway. Plans also call for a bike trail and right-of-way preservation for a high-capacity transit system. Total cost for implementation of the interim plan is approximately $1.8 billion with an end-of-project price tag of $4.7 billion.

In recognition of its Web-based Crash Reporting and Analysis for Safer Highways (CRASH) application, TxDOT also won a 2013 Best of Texas Award, presented by the Center for Digital Government. The award recognizes TxDOT’s efforts to electronically enter crash data, thereby reducing time and costs while improving efficiencies and resource allocation.